Combined lamp and license-plate holder



Jan. 8 1929.

o. c. RITZ WOLLER COMBINED LAMP AND LICENSE PLATE HOLDER Filed June 19, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 -2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I O. C. RITZ WOLLER COMBINED LAMP AND LICENSE PLATE HOLDER Filed June 19,

Jan. '8, 1929.

Patented Jan. 8, 1929.

came TATES OLIVER o. nrrz W LLER, ononroaeo, ILLINOIS.

coivnarnnn LAMP Ann n rcnnsn-rra'rnnotnnn.

Application filed J'une'19, 1926. Serial No. 117,052.

My invention relates to combined lamp 7 and license plate holders, and it has for its object the provision of a new and improved form and arrangement of parts for supporting a license plate in suitable position on the frame of an automobile and for supporting one or more lamps in proper adjusted position'with respect to the plate serving by re- 1 flection or otherwise to provide a limited amount of light on the face of the plate, such supporting means being preferably adjustable so as to be appropriate for supporting any ordinary form and size of license plate and for supporting the lamps in properly spaced relation with respect to plates of vari-,

ous sizes. It is another object of my invention to provide an improved construction in a device of this type for supporting the lamps and platetogether in adjusted position with respect to the frame of the car. It is still another object of my invention to improve devices of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out.

The preferred means by which I have accomplished my objects are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and are hereinafter specifically described. That which I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in theclaims. In the drawings Fig. 1 is a front face view of my improved device, showing in dotted lines an adjusted position of certain of the parts.

.Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken at line 22 of Fig. 1, but on a slightly en-- larged scale. I

Fig. 3 is an end view of the device as seen from the right in Fig. 1.

i Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section taken sub: stantially at line 44 of Fig. 1, but on a slightly enlarged scale. a Fig. 5 is a rear face view of my improved device; and I Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken at line e c of Fig. 5.

Referring to the several figures of the drawing, 10 indicates a supporting plate having flanges 11 at its top and bottom edges in position for receiving slidably therebetween two additional supporting plates 12 and 13. Each of the plates 12 and 13 is provided with a flange 14 extending along its top and bottom edges in position to have a snug sliding fit between the flanges 11 of the plate 10, such flange 14 being extended also about the end of each of the plates 12 and 13, as is best shown in Fig. 5. Each ofthe plates 12 and 13 is provided with longitudinally extending slots 15 along which the bolts 16 carried by the plate 10 are adjustable for holding the several plates in the desired 1011-.

gitudinal adjustment. a

Upon its front face, the supporting plate 10 is provided with a hook-shaped hanger 1.7 which is held adj ustably in position theretll) on by meansof a bolt 18 passing through a slot 19 in the hanger and through the slot 20 in the'platev 10, as is best shown in Fig. 2. Such plate 10 is, also provided with a longitudinally extending bar 21 which is held in position on the front face of the plate 10 by means of a bolt 22, passing through a bracket 23 carried by the'bar and through a slot 24 in the plate 10 as isalso shown in said Fig. 2." The arrangement is such that a license plate 25; (shown in" dotted lines in Fig. '1) may be held in position by the hanger 17 and the longitudinally extending bar 21, the plate being secured to the bar by means of bolts 26 passing through the license plate 25 and through longitudinally extending slots 27 in the end portions of the bar. As will be readily understood, by an adjustment of the bar 21 and the hanger 17vertically with respect to the supporting plate 10, the license plate 25 "can be brought to the desired adjustment vertically thereon. By reason of the slots 27 ,the structureis adapted for con- 1 venient use with license plates of any ordinary sizeand shape.

The device is supported in position, in the construction shown,by means of brackets adjustably connected with the supporting plate 10by means of the bolts 16. Each of these brackets comprises an "integral structure pressed out of sheet metal, comprising a vertically extending arm 28,'a'bow 29 extending upwardly andrearwardly from the upper end of the arm 28, and an arm 30 extending downwardly'from the upper'end of the bow 29, the structure being corrugated longitudinally by means of corrugations extending integrally past the points of juncture of the three parts of the bracket. As is best shown in Fig. 3, each of the brackets is provided with means for securing it to the framework of a Each of the brackets is adj ustably connected with the plate by the bolts 16, which extend through slots 33 in the arm 28 (see Fig. 5). Each of the arms 28 is reinforced and strengthened by a bar 34 which is se cured to the arm 28 by means of a rivet 35 as best shown in Figs. 4. and 5. The reinforcing bar 8a is provided with slots 36 corresponding with the slots 33 in the arms 28.

Each of the plates 12 and 18 is provided at its end portion with a lamp of any approved type. lamp structure comprisesa lens 37 carried by one of the plates 12 or 13, a housing 38 secured opposite the lens, and means within the housing for providing the desired lighting effect through the lens. prefer to employ an electric light within the housing 88 with current fed thereto through a cable 89 as shown.

With a plate 25 secured in centered position upon the supporting plate 10 of my device, the plates 12 and 18 are adjusted longitudinally so as to bringthe lamps carried thereby in the desired spaced relation with respect to the license plate. The bracket arms 28 are then adjusted to the desired Vertical position with respect to the supporting plate 10 and the bolts 16 are then tightened for holding the supporting plates and the bracket in their adjusted position. -At points where it is desired, locking washers40 maybe interposed for holding the parts in adjusted position. Inasmuch as the plate 25 is supported in a plane in advance of the plane in which the faces of the lamps are located, it will be appreciated that there has been no effort to arrange the parts for a maximum lighting effect upon the plate. Ihave, however, found in practice that thejplate is illuminated to a limited extent by my arrangement, the light being carried to the face of the license plate robably more or less by reflection. 7

While I prefer to employ the construction and arrangement as illustrated in my drawings, it will be understood that my invention is not tobe limited to the detailed form of construction as shown except to the extent that the'same is specifically claimed, inasmuch as it is evident that changes may be made in 1 the construction without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A device ofthe class described, com- 7 prising in combination a supporting plate,

In the construction shown, the I means carried thereby for supportingali cense plate thereon, two additional supporting plates adjustable horizontally on said first named plate, two lamps carried by said second named supporting plates respectively, and. means, carried by the first named supporting plate for mounting a license plate thereon between said lamps.

2. A device ofthe class described, comprising in combination a supporting plate having flanges along its top and bottom edges, additionalsupporting plates having flanges along their top and bottom edges and having a snug sliding fit between the flanges of said first named supporting plate, means for holding said additional supporting plates in adjusted position on said first named plate, means carried by said first named supporting plate for supporting a license plate thereon, lamps carried by said additional supporting plates respectively, and .means carried by said first named supporting plate for mounting a license plate thereon between said lamps.

3. A device of the class described, comprising in combination a supportingplate, means carried thereby for supporting a license plate thereon, two additional supporting plates held in horizontally adjustable'position on said first named plate by meansof bolts adj ustable along slots in one of the members, brackets connected by said bolts with said first named supporting plate so astobe adjustable vertically with respect thereto for supporting said first named supporting plate adjustably in position, two lamps carried by said second named supporting plates respectively, and means carried by said first named supporting plate for mounting a license I plate thereon between said lamps. 7

At. A device of the class described, comprising in. combination a supporting plate, bolts adjustable up and down in slots in said plate, a hooked hanger depending from one of said bolts for supporting a license plate on the front face of the supporting plate, a longitudinally slotted bar mounted. on the other bolt for assisting in supporting the license plate adjustably in position, and tw.o lamps opposite the ends of said supporting plate and adjustable toward and from the license plate carried thereby.

- OLIVER 0. arm woLL'ER. 

